cady tompkins



(No Model.) E. H. C. TOMPKINS.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Oct. 30, 1883.

(g INV'ENTQR: BY JAM/WW v ATTORNEYS.

ATENT Fries.

E. H. CADY TOMPKINS, OF GLENS FALLS, NElV YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFIGATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,483, dated October30, 1883. Application filed February 2, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E. H. CADY TOMPKINS, of Glens Falls, in the countyof \Varren and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedOar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

. The object of my invention is to provide an automatic car-couplingwhich shall be simple,

cheap, durable, certain in its action, easily operated, and which may beattached to the ordinary link-and-pin coupling, or made with theordinary form of draw-head.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of railroad-cars provided with my new andimproved automatic car-coupling, the coupling being shown in centrallongitudinal sectional elevation; and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionalelevation, taken on the line a 00 of Fig. 1.

A A represent the draw-heads, attached to the bottom of the cars B B byany suitable means. These draw-heads are of the ordinary form, exceptthat they are formed with the'slots a a and 1) I) in their upper andlower walls, respectively, and are provided with the weathercaps orhousings ff, for protecting the coupling mechanism from rain, sleet,snow, &c.

The coupling-pins F F are by preference eX- tcnded above the top of thecar or above the platform of the car, (according to the construction ofthe car,) where they are provided with eyes 0 C, by which they may beconveniently raised and turned from the top or platform'of the car foruncoupling, and the coupling-pins are'each formed with an offset, 0, bywhich they may be held in elevated position for coupling automaticallyby the clasp-springs D D, and for holding the coupling-pins in elevatedposition when the clasp-springs are held apart by the connectinglink E.I provide the coupling-pins with the small studs "6, which may becarried by turning the coupling-pins above the hooks t, attached underthe platform or top of the car, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

The clasp-springs D D are attached at their lower ends to the under sideof the draw-heads, and are bent and pass up through the slots at a and bb, made in the walls of the drawheads,

into the housings f, where they are again bent or curved toward eachother, so that their upcoupling-pins, as shown in Fig. 1, so that whenthelink -E is placed in the draw-head A the clasp-springs D D will pressagainst its outer sides, and, being more ridged at their lower ends thanat the upper, will thus press harder together at the bottom, willelevate the outer end of the link E to a level, as clearly shown endstraight ahead and keep it from swaying sidewise, and thus hold it inposition to automatically enter the opposing draw-head at the right ofFig. 1 and make it certain to couple. -While it is thus automaticallyheld the springs will allow the cars, when coupled, to sway sidewise,also, up or down, thus giving that free motion of the ordinarypin-and-link coupling. The moment either end of the link E is releasedit will return to position, ready to couple automatically. Theclasp-springs D D will also center the link E as it enters the drawheadwhen the cars are backed together for coupling.

at the left of Fig. 1, and also hold its extended The coupling-link E isof the ordinary form,

and is wider than the distance between the clasp-springs D D, so that onentering the thereof from the offset 0 of the coupling-pin,

and thus permit the couplingpin to drop through the connecting-link, andthus couple the cars.

In arranging the cars for coupling, the link E is to be first placed inone of the draw-heads of the cars to be coupled, as shown at the left inFig. 1. The coupling-pin of the opposing car is thenraised, so that theoffset 0 thereof will rest upon the upper ends of the springs D D, asshown at the right in Fig. 1. The cars are then simply to be backedtogether, which will cause the link E to enter the drawhead of theopposing car between the springs D D, and, being wider than the distancethese springs are apart, it will spread most at the upper ends andrelease the coupling-pin,

which will then drop through the link and.

couple the cars.

The housings f f are formed with a slot or hole, 0, in the top, throughwhich the coupling-pin F passes. This being on a perpendicular line withthe pin-hole in the draw-head A, (shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2,) itacts as a guide to steady the pin when raised, and to guide it straightthrough the pin-hole in the draw-head when it is released from theclaspsprings D D. XVhen' the eoupling-pin F is raised, its lower enddoes not comeabove the lower edge of the upper wall of the drawhead 13,as clearly shown at the right of Fig. 1, and this, in connection withthe hole through the top of the housing f, forms a true guide forv thecoupling-pin F.

When the conneetingrlink is in place in the draw-head, if it is desiredto hold the coupling-pin elevated, so that the cars shall remainuncoupled, it must be raised and turned, so that the stud 1; thereofwill come above and rest upon the hook i, as shown at the right in Fig.1.

Constructed in this manner, it will be seen that the coupling isentirely automatic, is cheap, simple, and durable, adapted to be appliedto the ordinary link and pin and drawheads in common use, and is veryeasy and convenient in operation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a car-coupling, the upwardly-projecting springsD D, having their lower ends secured to the draw-head and their upperends bent inwardly toward each other, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, whereby the pin is adapted to be supported in an elevatedposition and to be released by the entering.

link, as set forth.

2. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with a coupling-pin provided withan offset, of the upwardly-proj ecting springs D D, having their upperends bent inwardly to engage the said pin under the offset,substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The coupling-pin F, formed with the oil'- set c, and provided withthe stud i, in co1nbination with the clasp-springs D D and the hook i,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A and thecoupling-pin F, provided with the offset a, of the springs D D,projecting upwardly through slots in the drawhead, and having the upperends bent inwardly to engage the eOupling-pimsubstantially as hereinshown and described.

5. The draw-head A, formed with the slots a a and b b, and provided withthe claspsprings D D, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The slots 1) b in the draw-heads, made nearer the outer end of thedraw-head than' are the slots at a, whereby the springs D D are held infront of the coupling-pin for guiding the connecting-link, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with the ,draw-head A, providedwith the housing f, of the coupling-pin F, passing through the saidhousing, and the springs D D, projecting upwardly into the same,substantially as herein shown and described.

8. The springs D D, attached to the bottom of the draw-head A, andpassing upward through its upper and lower walls, and inside of sidewalls of the draw-head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

. E. H. CADY TOMPKINS.

\Vitnesses:

THOS. S. LINDSAY, M. H. TOMPKINS.

